Avtron M6C explosion protected ATEX and IECEx rated severe mill duty rotary encoders are designed for direct mounting on motor or load shafts, from 1" to 1 1/8" [25-30mm]. Other models available include no-bearing units such as XR5, XR56 and XR850, shafted models including XR4F and XR485. These models also include ATEX, IECEx, UL, cUL, NEC and CSA ratings.

The M6C is an updated model which directly replaces the M6 encoder, and M6C adds IECEx certification. No barrier or isolator is required-mount M6C directly in any ATEX or IECEx Zone 1 application.

Why take a chance with weak optical encoders on your drilling rig? The M6C features Nidec-Avtron’s rugged magnetic sensor and solid metal rotor technology. Our shatterproof, moisture proof systems ensure your application has maximum uptime. The hollow shaft (tethered) models offer direct mounting on shafts from 1" to 1 1/8", without flanges, reducers, couplings, or other hardware. No rework is needed; just mount the encoder directly on the shaft, and secure the tether arm. The heavy duty bearings withstand runout and vibration that destroy lesser encoders.

M6C also includes a complete wiring protection system--it can survive all types of wiring errors and drive signals down the longest cables.
For more information on keeping your rotary encoders working in oil and gas applications, visit our oil and gas blog.

We believe explosion protected encoders should also be ready to withstand the rough drilling environment. Try the M6C today!

In This Section

In This Section

A device used to prevent hollow shaft encoders from spinning with the shaft rotation. It is also called a tether or a torque arm. To prevent encoder bearing damage, anti-rotation arms are very flexible and permit all movements, including axial shaft movement but not rotation.

ATEX is a directive used worldwide for equipment, including encoders, to be used around or in explosive atmospheres. ATEX certified equipment is NOT necessarily interchangeable with US-based UL Class/Division or Class/Zone rated equipment, nor IECEx rated equipment. ATEX is an alternative and different system. Review our full line of Avtron Explosion Protected, ATEX certified encoders, including M6, M6C and XR models.

A device which indicates position and speed via a set of digital outputs. Incremental encoders output quadrature (A Quad B) signals, and may add a marker pulse once per revolution. Absolute encoders typically indicate position via a digital message, a set of parallel outputs, or analog values.

Also known as Flameproof, explosion protected equipment has additional protection/safety enhancements for use in explosive atmospheres. Explosion Protected devices maybe placed directly into hazardous areas within their nameplate rating. No additional equipment is required if installation instructions are followed properly. By comparison, Intrinsically Safe devices may require the use of additional, external protection/current limiting devices outside of the hazardous area. Avtron offers hollow shaft M6C Explosion Protected encoders.

Hollow Shaft encoders mount by passing the shaft of the motor into or through the encoder. Hollow shaft encoders are easy to mount and replace but are vulnerable to damage. Also, the weight of the encoder must be considered for small motor shafts < 0.75" diameter. Avtron offers a full range of hollow shaft encoders, including: AV685, HS25A, HS35A, HS35M, M3, M4, M6, M7, XP45.

IECEx is a directive used worldwide for equipment, including encoders, to be used around or in explosive atmospheres. IECEx certified equipment is NOT necessarily interchangeable with US-based UL Class/Division rated equipment, or ATEX rated equipment. IECEx is an alternative and different system. Avtron offers a full famliy of Explosion Protected, IECEx certified XR encoders, and M6C is also IECEx certified.

Is a system designed to improve equipment safety by limiting spark energy values in equipment used in hazardous areas. Intrinsic Safety is a different system of protection than Explosion Proof or Flameproof. Many Explosion Proof and Flameproof encoders can be replaced with Intrinsically Safe encoders, provided the installation instructions are followed correctly and the system is compliant with the approved installation drawing. Intrinsically safe Avtron XR encoders are available in Level 1 protection and Level 2 protection.

The chip or output circuit that forms the electrical pulses output from the encoder. Avtron has extremely advanced line driver technology to prevent damage from overvoltage and short circuits. Avtron offers optional high-power line drivers to permit Avtron encoder signals to travel farther down long wires to remote controller/drive locations without the need for repeaters or amplifiers.

Magnetic and magnetoresistive encoders typically use a magnetized rotor with north and south poles lined up around the perimeter of the disk. A magnetoresistive sensor detects the transitions, and these are the counts or pulses generated by the encoder. Magnetic encoders withstand dirt, dust, water, and temperature changes far better than optical encoders.

The Marker Pulse occurs once per revolution. The purpose of the marker pulse is to provide a repeatable home position location for positioning applications. The marker pulse is often abbreviated as "ØZ" or "Z" in the USA and "C" or "N" in Europe.

An Optical Disk is typically a glass, metal, or plastic disk with fine lines or slots etched around the perimeter that interrupt the beam of light from the light source to an optical sensor. Optical disks can be quite fragile. Avtron uses only shatterproof optical disks with Wide-Gap technology.

Pulses Per Revolution. Most Avtron encoders output quadrature pulses, with four times as many lines as pulses. Often lines can be counted in the drive/speed controller for higher resolution applications.